Shakira takes to Instagram to ask for clemency for a Cuban truck driver sentenced to 110 years in prison

Shakira, the hugely successfully Colombian pop singer and dancer, took to Instagram on Wednesay to join millions of others in asking for leniency for Rogel Lazaro Aguilera-Mederos – the Cuban-born truck driver who was recently sentenced to a lengthy prison term for his involvement in a highway accident that resulted in the death of four individuals.

In October, a jury found Aguilera-Mederos guilty of 27 criminal charges and in December he was sentenced to 110 years in prison.

In imposing the sentence, District Court Judge Bruce Jones said it was the mandatory minimum term set forth under state law, but suggested a lesser punishment was warranted. Mandatory minimum sentencing laws required that sentences on 27 counts of vehicular assault, assault, reckless driving and other charges run consecutively.

As of Thursday, close to 5 million people have signed a petition asking Colorado Governor Jared Polis to commute Aguilera-Mederos’ sentence or to grant him a pardon.

On Wednesday, Shakira wrote to her 70 million fans saying, “Glad to hear that the DA has taken a step towards reopening this case – technicalities in sentencing shouldn’t supersede judicial discretion or amount to injustice and lifelong imprisonment for something that, though tragic for all involved, was an accident.”

“Offer commutation as time served, or grant clemency to Roger Lazaro Aguiler-Mederos,” she added, linking to the change.com petition page.